When will Angel Di Maria retire? Argentina star set to call time on national team career in 2024

While questions continue to swirl around the retirement timeline of Argentine legend Lionel Messi, one of his most faithful teammates and servants has admitted to the mortality to his own national team career.

Angel Di Maria, who has played alongside Messi for nearly the entirety of their international careers, will soon call time on his career with Argentina.

The 35-year-old earned his Argentina debut at the hands of Alfio Basile in September of 2008, starting a World Cup qualifier against Paraguay that ended in a 1-1 draw. Those 45 minutes ignited one of the most well-known Argentina careers of the modern era, as Di Maria would reach 134 caps by the time he announced his plans for retirement.

Di Maria's service to his country has seen him reach fourth on the all-time Argentina caps list, 11 behind Javier Zanetti in third and 13 back of second-place Javier Mascherano. With just three World Cup qualifiers remaining on Argentina's schedule, plus any friendlies scheduled in early 2024, Di Maria will be hard-pressed to reach and pass those above him, but a deep run in the 2024 Copa America could see it come to pass.

Argentina match schedule for 2023 calendar year as CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying begins

Angel Di Maria has stated he will retire from international duty following the 2024 Copa America.

“I will leave the Argentina national team after Copa America, it’s over for me,” Di Maria told Argentine radio station Todo Pasa the day of their October qualifying match against Peru. “I hugged Messi at PSG and told him, 'the only thing I'm grateful for is to have been able to play with you in a club, to be able to see you every day.'”

There were questions about his potential retirement after that tournament, but he has since